Ahoy - Mac's Web Log - The Athenia Page, index to articles about Passenger Liner Athenia

The Athenia Page, index to articles about Passenger Liner Athenia

Given all the interest in the sinking of the Passenger Liner Athenia on the day WW2 declared, and the fact that we have recently found some of the lists for her survivors, and those who died, we have decided to consolidate all our references to her on this site, The Athenia Page.

TSS Letitia, sister ship to ill fated Athenia, had a checkered career

Read the article.
Published 03 March 2008; Updated 09 March 2008

A report about HMS Electra and the sinking and rescue of some of her passengers, by Able Seaman Jack Taylor

Read the article.
Published 24 October 2007; Updated 24 October 2007

Margaret and Elizabeth Orr both survived the sinking of RMS Athenia on Sunday the 3rd. of September 1939. Margo Farnworth's artifacts from her Mother and Grand Mother

Athenia artifacts from the Orr family - click to read more

Margo Farnsworth of Calgary Canada has written to me to indicate that her Mother and Grand Mother, Margaret and Elizabeth Orr had both survived the Athenia sinking. In December 1939, her Grand Father made up a special scrap book for his wife Elizabeth, it is now in Margo's possession, and holds some press reports from both sides of the Atlantic, the plan of the ship's accommodation, three telegrams sent to her family by Elizabeth, a survivor list of passengers and crew members, and a list of those survivors who needed hospitalisation in Glasgow. Read the article.
Published 02 October 2007; Updated 03 October 2007

Survivors from Athenia rescued by Royal Navy destroyers, Escort, Electra and Fame, and landed at Gourock on the Clyde, Scotland

Over the years that AHOY has been trying to locate lists of survivors from the Athenia, torpedoed on Sunday the 3rd. of September 1939, the very first day of WW2, we have not found a consolidated list of those survivors rescued by Royal Navy destroyers Escort, Electra and Fame, and landed at Gourock on the Clyde at Scotland. Read the article.
Published 16 June 2007; Updated 03 May 2008

Athenia Manuscript authored by Judith Evelyn

Judith's Manuscript ( tied up with ribbon ) covered her sailing, being sunk, and rescued from the liner Athenia, in the first casualty of the WW2 U-Boat war in the Atlantic. The ship was sunk by U-30 on Sunday the 3rd.of September 1939 the very first day that WW2 had been declared.

93 passengers and 19 crew members died.

Read the article.
Published 05 December 2006; Updated 14 February 2007

Family of seven, only three survive sinking of Athenia

Work in progress

Read the article.
Published 24 November 2006; Updated 01 April 2008

The Athenia Remembered: September 3, 1939-September 3, 2004 by Michael Poirier

Interviews with Athenia survivors - click to read more.

Thanks to Michael Poirier who graciously allowed Ahoy to publish interview excerpts from his article, "The Athenia Remembered: September 3, 1939-September 3, 2004 in Voyage magazine, Titanic International Society, www.titanicinternationalsociety.org Read the article.
Published 29 September 2006; Updated 19 January 2007

First newspaper report about Bernice Jansen being aboard Athenia when it was sunk by German U-Boat U-30, on the 3rd. of September 1939

At this stage it was unknown if Bernice had survived. Its quite wonderful to get these reports from newspapers of that time. I acknowledge with thanks the generosity of Christy Velasco of California in sharing her records with AHOY. Read the article.
Published 24 July 2006; Updated 19 January 2007

Survivors from Athenia picked up by the City of Flint, to be transported to Halifax

This list from the Times of London archives indicates that the majority of these survivors rescued from the Athenia which was torpedoed by German U-Boat U-30, on Sunday the 3rd. of September 1939, were Americans. Read the article.
Published 09 July 2006; Updated 09 July 2006

List of 93 Passengers killed when Athenia was torpedoed by German U-30, on Sunday the 3rd. of September 1939

Athenia was torpedoed by German U-Boat U-30, on the day World War 2 was declared. No doubt the sterile black print of this list of passengers who died when Athenia was torpedoed, masks a number of poignant stories. Read the article.
Published 23 June 2006; Updated 06 July 2006

The British Convoy System in Two World Wars, and winning the Battle of the Atlantic

Hitler on 9 October, 1939, made this comment, "Used ruthlessly, the Submarine, can today, be an extraordinary threat to Britain."

Churchill said, " Battles might be won or lost, enterprises succeed or miscarry, Territories might be gained or quitted, but, dominating all our power to carry on the war, or even keep ourselves alive, was our mastery of the ocean routes, and free approach and entry to our ports. The only thing that ever frightened me during the war was the U-Boat peril."

Read the article.
Published 02 February 2006; Updated 01 July 2006

My life on the Internet

(Work in progress) Read the article.
Published 22 February 2004; Updated 01 July 2006

SS Athenia, First Casualty of the U-Boat War on the 3rd. of September 1939

Berlin found out about this attack from news reports, and knowing that U-30 was the only Boat in that area, were soon able to pin this error on her.

SS Athenia sinking, First Casualty of the U-Boat War - click to read the article

Hitler now wanted a cover up. He did not wish to have another event like the Lusitania affair from WW1 coming back to haunt him, plus Donitz, and his U-Boat arm. Goebells spread the word that it was the British that had themselves torpedoed Athenia, in their attempt to bring the United States quickly into WW2 against Germany Read the article.
Published 29 September 2003; Updated 01 July 2006

The Battle of the Atlantic

This battle ebbed and flowed from the opening day of W.W. 2 The German V-30. only twelve hours after war was declared. sank the" Athenia" off Ireland, with the subsequent loss of life of 120 of its passengers. Read the article.
Published 23 October 2002; Updated 16 June 2007

Letters and other correspondence

Correspondence - Linda Dalton survived sinking of Athenia

Read more.
Published 03 May 2008; Updated 03 May 2008

Correspondence - Jessie Lowe (Jessie Makay) a nurse/stewardess on the Athenia?

Read more.
Published 29 April 2008; Updated 29 April 2008

Correspondence - Frank Watson served on H.M.S. Escort, picked up survivors from S.S. Athenia

Read more.
Published 16 March 2008; Updated 17 March 2008

Correspondence - Arthur and Lily Moses, were aboard the Athenia when she was torpedoed

Read more.
Published 02 March 2008; Updated 02 March 2008

Correspondence - Margaret Ray Hodge and Jocelyn M. Hodge survivied the sinking of Athenia

Read more.
Published 02 March 2008; Updated 02 March 2008

Correspondence - Duncan MacKenzie Wood Sr., wife Ann Scott Wood, and their son Duncan MacKenzie Wood Jr., all survived the sinking of the ATHENIA